Fedotenko, 32, was a training camp invite last September and
not only made the team, but played a critical role for the Rangers throughout
the season.

His numbers weren’t eye-popping (10 goals and 15 assists),
but Fedotenko played in all situations and fit like a glove.

When Ryan Callahan went down with injuries, Coach John
Tortorella said that Fedotenko was essentially his replacement and the coach
handed his old Tampa
Bay player even more responsibility.

This is a very strong deal for the Blueshirts; not only did
they get Fedotenko at a very reasonable price, but this is just a one-year deal
so New York can still move on to youngsters in the near future.

The addition of Rupp and re-signing of Fedotenko may make it
very difficult for Carl Hagelin to earn a spot with the Rangers out of training
camp this season, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for the Michigan grad to get a
year of seasoning in the AHL.

With all the crazy contracts handed out today by GMs around
the league, Fedotenko has to be considered a huge bargain.It’s quite possible that Fedotenko was
offered more money and years by other teams but chose to remain in New York.

It will be interesting to see if Fedotenko returns to his
spot alongside Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust, a line that had tremendous
success last year, or if Rupp takes that spot and Fedotenko is moved up in the
lineup.

And if it wasn’t already a given, Vinny Prospal’s time with
the Rangers is clearly over.